Coffee can opener



J. J. KARALUS COFFEE CAN OPENER Filed Feb. 8, 1962 -------Illllllllllllllll 24 M JOHN AKAQALUS A m 5y United States Patent 3,081,903 1 COFFEE CAN OPENER John J. Karalus, 214 Ashland Ave., Newington, Conn. Filed Feb. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 171,903 1 Claim. (Cl. 220--52) This invention relates to can openers, and more particularly to a can opener adapted for severing the tear strip from a coffee can, and winding it into spiral form on the outside of the can.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 represents a top plan view of the improved can opener as it appears when in operating position assembled upon the top edge of a coifee can.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the same shown partly in section.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side sectional View, taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2, at a position at right angles thereto.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the same.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side view of the same.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged bottom end view of the split sleeve showing the circular center hole within which the tongue of the tear strip is adapted to positively engage.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates an arcuate plate which is adapted to be placed over the top edge of a coffee can C having a :tear strip TS, located above a rib R.

The arcuate plate 10 is provided at one end with a short depending vertical lug 11 and at its other end with a long depending vertical ear 12 having an inturned lower end 13. The arcuate plate 10 is also provided with a central apertured outer ear 12a which embraces a vertical rotatable crank shaft 18, to be more fully described later. The arcuate plate 10 is secured to the inner end of a radial rectangular block 14 by a vertical locking pin 15b, and the outer end of said block 14 is attached by a vertical locking pin 15a to a horizontal handle rod 15 located therein.

The outer portion of the rod 15 is fitted Within a horizontal tapered wooden handle 16 having a stepped metallic ferrule 17 for securing said handle to said rod 15.

The vertical rotary crankshaft 18 extends upwardly through the ear 12a and a circular hole in the block 14, and has its upper end secured to an L-shaped rod 19, the horizontal section 20 of which is secured in the upper end of the vertical shaft 18. The top vertical section of the rod 19 is provided with a wooden knob 21 rotatably secured in position by means of a ferrule 22.

The lower end of the shaft 18 is provided with an integral downwardly converging tapered split sleeve 23 having a pair of concave necks 23a, 23b which fit over the rim of the can C and a curved end 150 of the horizontal rod respectively. The grooved neck 23a enables the crankshaft to in closer to the coffee can, and the curved end 15c of the handle 15 serves to lock the crankshaft 18 in position. The sleeve 23 has a vertical slot 24 extending throughout the lower part thereof, which slot 3,fi8l,903 Patented Mar. 19, 1963 2 24 has semi-circular side sections defining a central hole 25, within which the protruding end of the tear strip TS is adapted to engage and be wound up into spiral condition 26 leaving a groove 27 in the outer portion of the can C above the rib R thereof.

Operation In the use of the present can opener, the split sleeve 23 with its center hole 25 will be fitted over the end protruding tongue of the tear strip TS, which normally extends parallel to the can C. The arcuate plate 16 will then be placed over the top edge of the can, with the short lug 11 and the long fulcrum ear 12 engaging the outside rim of said can. The lower inturned end 13 will then be located under the bottom of the tear strip TS.

Upon grasping the radial horizontal handle 16 in one hand of the user, the knob 21 of the L-shaped rod 19 will be turned clockwise by the other hand of the user, to cause the tear strip TS to be severed from the can C and wound into the spiral form 26 upon the sleeve 23 (see FIG. 4).

It will be understood that while the tear strip TS is being wound up into spiral form around the split sleeve 23, the short lug 11 will move gradually away from the can, while the long fulcrum ear 12 will remain in engagement therewith.

An important advantage of the present invention lies in the provision of the circular hole 25 in the center of the split sleeve 23, by means of which slippage of the tongue on the end of the tear strip 26 is prevented, and the tear strip can be Wound up and removed from the can C even if the tongue is too short to extend entirely through the slot 24 of the sleeve 23.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not limited to this specific disclosure but may be modified and embodied in various other equivalent forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent is:

In a can opener for a cylindrical coffee can or the like, having a removable tear strip located on the circumference of said can near the top thereof, a flat: late for engaging the top of said can, said plate having a pair of short and long lugs engaging the outer edge of said can, the longer of said lugs comprising a fulcrum and having its lower end turned inwardly below said tear strip, an outwardly extending horizontal handle secured to said plate, a vertical cam shaft also secured to said plate and having an L-shaped handle rotatably secured to the upper end of said shaft, the lower end of said shaft being split and having an inner circular aperture to form a sleeve for receiving the outer tongue of said tear strip, whereby when said horizontal handle is held in one hand and the L-shaped handle is rotated by the other hand of the user, the tear strip may be wound into spiral form on said split sleeve and removed from said can.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

